What you can expect in our master's program

In the interdisciplinary master's degree program in Digital Economics, you will deepen and supplement the academic qualifications you acquired in the bachelor's degree in an individual way - particularly in the subjects of digital economics, business administration and economics, computer science, mathematics, statistics and econometrics, operations research and social sciences. The standard period of study is 4 semesters, during which you will earn a total of 120 ECTS credits.

The languages of instruction of the program are English and German, with the majority of courses being taught in English. In the compulsory area, the degree program is divided into three central fields: Economics, Methods and Society. Here you will acquire in-depth technical and methodological skills to analyze and shape economic, technological and social aspects of digital change.

In the supplementary compulsory elective area, you set your own focus in terms of content by choosing two elective modules and a Seminar Module from the subjects of business administration and economics, computer science, operations research, statistics and/or law and sociology. By customizing your course of study in this way, you will also build up key interdisciplinary skills - for example in academic writing and presentation, teamwork, creativity techniques or project management.

In the fourth semester, you will complete your studies with your master's thesis. The department recommends that you start your studies in the winter semester.

Program structure

Internship

The study program does not include a compulsory internship. You can complete a voluntary internship during your studies. If it serves the objectives of your studies and covers at least half of the lecture period, you can apply for a semester off (leave of absence). Such an internship offers you valuable experience outside the university and can make it easier for you to start your career later on.

Make your studies international

You have various options for integrating a stay abroad into your master's degree course. For example, you can study at a foreign university of your choice for one or two semesters via Erasmus+ or as a freemover. You can also do an internship abroad. In addition, selective mobility is possible via Eucor - The European Campus: KIT students can flexibly attend individual courses in addition to courses at KIT or study full-time for an entire semester or year at an Eucor partner university.

The International Relations Office (IRO) of the KIT Department of Economics and Management and the International Students Office can help you with your planning.

Master's thesis

In the fourth semester, you will write your master's thesis (30 CP). In this academic paper, you will deal intensively with a topic of your choice from the field of digital economics. The master's thesis requires independent research, analytical thinking and a well-founded written elaboration. It can also be written in cooperation with a company or an external institution. The processing time is 6 months.

Depending on the agreement with the supervisor, in addition to the written thesis, a presentation may be a mandatory and grade-relevant part of the master's thesis. This takes place either before or after submission and is scheduled separately.

The master's program in Digital Economics opens up career opportunities e.g. as executive in all areas of public administration, in non-governmental organizations, and in all areas of the private sector that are influenced by digitalization. In addition, there is a possibility of working in consulting or in start-ups. Or you can opt for an academic career and start a doctorate as the next step.

Characteristic features of Digital Economics M.Sc. at KIT

• newly designed, interdisciplinary degree program
  
• first university degree program of its kind in Germany
  
• modern and innovative degree program at the interface of economics and computer science
  
• possibility to individually design your studies through extensive elective and specialization options
  
• close cooperation with the KIT Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
  
• industry partner network for company contacts and internships
  
• KIT is a member of the EUCOR university network, which enables you to take part in courses at the universities of Freiburg, Basel, Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse
  
• International Relations Office to support you in planning your stay abroad
  
• for prospective doctoral candidates: Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists (KHYS)
• for young start-ups: entrepreneurial support from the KIT start-up incubator

What KIT has to offer

• central campus close to the city forest and right next to the city center
  
• 24-hour library offering single and group working places
  
• wide range of inexpensive catering options (dining hall, cafeteria, Koeri and Pizzawerk)
  
• numerous interdisciplinary offers for personal and professional development, e.g. Lernlabor, Schreiblabor and Perspektivenlabor
  
• study abroad, e.g. via Erasmus
  
• excellent university sports facilities with a large selection of sports
  
• comprehensive cultural offerings with university orchestras, choirs and theater groups
  
• extensive support for career entry and self-employment
  
• internationally oriented degree programs and diverse exchange programs
  
• modern laboratories and practical teaching methods
  
• Lernraum app
  
• diverse student initiatives, clubs and opportunities to actively participate in campus life
  
• stay in touch after graduation via the alumni network
  

Admission requirements

The requirements for admission to the master's degree program in Digital Economics are based on the current admission regulations:

• bachelor's degree
  a bachelor's degree (or at least an equivalent degree) in Digital Economics, Industrial Engineering, Business Informatics or another economics degree course, Computer Science, Mathematics or a degree course related to one of the aforementioned degree courses with essentially the same content at a university, university of applied sciences or university of cooperative education or at a foreign university; the course must have been completed within a standard period of study of at least three years and with a minimum number of 180 ECTS credits
  
• minimum knowledge and minimum achievements in the areas of
  • mathematics, statistics and/or econometrics amounting to 20 credit points
    

If you have any questions about making up credits for the admission criteria, you can contact the Student Advisory Service (ZSB) at KIT. Please note that the event "Für den Master ans KIT?" is offered in German at regular intervals for this topic.

Language requirements and certificates

For the master's degree program in Digital Economics, you need sufficient knowledge of German and English. Your German language skills must be at least level C1 and your English language skills at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Important: you must provide proof of the required language skills regardless of your citizenship and by the end of the enrollment period at the latest, but preferably at the time of application.

In what form do I have to provide the language certificates? Please read the following chapters on this website carefully. If you have any further questions, please contact

• Students Office if you are applying as a German, German national or a person with German equivalent status
• the International Students Office if you are a non-EU national

Proof of sufficient German language skills

As proof of your German language skills, your higher education or master's entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur, university degree or a professional qualification that entitles you to study) is sufficient if you have acquired it at a German-speaking institution with German as the language of instruction.

In concrete terms, this means that you do not have to submit additional proof of German if you

• have obtained your Abitur at a German-speaking school in Germany or abroad,
• are a graduate of a bilingual secondary school in Germany or abroad and have passed a bilingual German examination, such as the AbiBac or the Gemischtsprachiges International Baccalaureat (GIB) or
• you graduated from a foreign school, but there is another official agreement with the respective country regarding the recognition of your school-leaving certificate or language certificate as proof of language proficiency for university studies in Germany.

A complete list of foreign school-leaving qualifications and language certificates that are recognized as proof of sufficient German language skills can be found on the website of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Laender (KMK) in the Federal Republic of Germany.

If you have already completed a German-language degree at a German university, this can also count as proof of German language proficiency - but only if the diploma supplement, transcript of records or degree certificate clearly states that German was the sole language of instruction and examination.

If, on the other hand, you did not obtain your higher education or master's entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution with German as the language of instruction, you must provide proof of German language proficiency at least at DSH-2 level. This corresponds to CEFR level C1.

Only the following certificates are accepted in accordance with the KIT admission and enrollment regulations:

• passed German section of the Feststellungspruefung (assessment test)
• passed German language test for university admission (DSH) with overall result DSH-2
• passed Test of German as a Foreign Language (TestDaF) with level 4 in all four parts of the exam
• German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs - second level (DSD II)
• Goethe certificate C1 or higher
• passed telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule exam
• Austrian Language Diploma C1 or higher

Note: The above-mentioned tests are accepted as proof of language proficiency for an unlimited period of time, even if the provider specifies an expiration date.

What if I cannot provide suitable C1 proof of German at the time of application?

If you are unable to provide any of the C1 certificates listed above for your German language skills by the application deadline, admission is still possible if you can present a provisional document proving that you have at least B2 language level. Proof of B2 level only includes

• passed German language test for university admission (DSH) with an overall result of DSH-1
  
• passed Test of German as a Foreign Language (TestDaF) with level 3 in all four parts of the exam
  
• passed telc German B2 exam

But please don't forget: you still have to submit the C1 certificate by the end of your enrollment period at the latest, which is stated in your admission letter.

Therefore, check early on whether you can provide the necessary language certificates by the deadline and, if necessary, plan to take a recognized language test.

In justified cases, you can apply for an extension of the enrollment deadline to provide proof of your language skills, but this extensvion can only be granted up to the day before the start of the lecture period. Please contact the Student Office or the International Students Office - depending on who is named as your point of contact in your letter of admission.

Proof of sufficient knowledge of English

The following is sufficient proof of your English language skills

• your university entrance qualification, if
  • it certifies English language proficiency at CEFR level B2 or higher or
  • it shows that you have studied English for at least five years up to graduation and your final grade or average grade of the last two years of English lessons corresponds to at least the German grade 4 (sufficient) or at least 5 grade points or
• a university degree with English as the sole language of instruction and examination in the completed degree program - this must be clearly stated in the Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records or in the degree certificate.

Otherwise, only the following English tests listed in the KIT admission and enrollment regulations are accepted as proof of English proficiency:

• TOEFL iBT (internet-based) with at least 90 points
• IELTS with an overall score of at least 6.5, no section below 5.5
• TOEIC with at least 400 points in Listening, 385 in Reading, 160 in Speaking, 150 in Writing
• Cambridge Certificate C1 Advanced (CAE)
• Cambridge Certificate C2 Proficiency (CPE)
• Cambridge Certificate B2 First (FCE)
• UNIcert, at least level II
• Pearson PTE Academic with at least 58.5 points overall and at least 56.8 in Listening, 60.6 in Reading, 53.5 in Speaking, 74.1 in Writing

Note: The above-mentioned tests are accepted as proof of language proficiency for an unlimited period of time, even if the provider specifies an expiration date.

What if I cannot provide suitable B2 proof of English at the time of application?

If you are unable to provide any of the B2 certificates listed above for your English language skills by the application deadline, admission is still possible if you can present a provisional document proving that you have already acquired English language skills.

But please don't forget: you will still have to submit the actual B2 certificate by the end of your enrollment period at the latest, which is stated in your admission letter.

Therefore, check early on whether you can provide the necessary language certificates by the deadline and, if necessary, plan to take one of the recognized language tests.

In justified cases, you can apply for an extension of the enrollment deadline to provide proof of your language skills, but this extension can only be granted up to the day before the start of the lecture period. Please contact the Students Office or the International Students Office - depending on who is named as your point of contact in your letter of admission.

Es stehen jährlich 40 Studienplätze zur Verfügung. Diese werden anhand einer Rangliste unter denjenigen Bewerberinnen und Bewerbern vergeben, die die Zugangsvoraussetzungen erfüllen. Die Rangliste basiert auf maximal 90 erreichbaren Bewertungspunkten.

Dabei kannst du im Einzelnen erreichen:

• max. 60 Punkte für die Gesamtnote der akademischen Abschlussprüfung sowie
• max. 30 Punkte für die bisher erbrachte Studien- und Prüfungsleistungen in Mathematik, Statistik und/oder Ökonometrie

Anders benannte, aber inhaltlich gleiche Studien- und Prüfungsleistungen, werden im Auswahlverfahren berücksichtigt, soweit sie gleichwertig sind. Über die Gleichwertigkeit entscheidet die Zugangs- und Auswahlkommission.

Detaillierte Informationen zum Auswahlverfahren findest du in der aktuellen Zugangssatzung.

Additional contacts:

• KIT-Department of Economics and Management
• Academic advisor
• Examination board
• Information about exchange programs and studying abroad
• Student representatives Economics

Teaching calendar

Course catalog

• Course catalog current term
• Course catalog current term PDF (English)
• Archive of previous catalogs